Letter to Senate & House Ag Committees on Aquaponics Priorities
Bella Vita commercial aquaponic farm in Brookeville, MD
The Aquaponics Association has sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry; and the U.S. House Agriculture Committee with recommendations to support aquaponics in the newly-formed Congress.
Read: Aquaponics Letter to Senate & House Ag, February 2021
The letter offers four recommendations for the Committees to consider:
Hold a hearing on Aquaponics;
Oversee the establishment of the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production;
Recognize new and emerging food production systems, such as aquaponic systems, as important suppliers of food in the future; and
Amend the 1990 Organic Food Production Act to explicitly allow for soil-less Organic Certification.
The 2018 U.S. Farm Bill was the first time aquaponics was mentioned in federal legislation and it included important provisions for aquaponics. However, more support is needed to ensure the growth of this natural, sustainable growing method.
The next Farm Bill is scheduled for 2023, but the groundwork is already being laid. Aquaponics growers must relate our priorities to Congress now to ensure they are addressed.
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